I have a few batches under my belt and I still consider myself a noob, but I've definitely have gotten better at brewing by asking questions and doing the right research.
One thing that has helped me the most is using the hydrometer. Without it I would have relied on the airlock method and would have bottled beer way too early. It only takes an extra minute to extract some wort and fill up the little plastic tube that comes with the hydrometer.

I have a few batches under my belt and I still consider myself a noob, but I've definitely have gotten better at brewing by asking questions and doing the right research.
One thing that has helped me the most is using the hydrometer. Without it I would have relied on the airlock method and would have bottled beer way too early. It only takes an extra minute to extract some wort and fill up the little plastic tube that comes with the hydrometer.

Im still not 100% convinced it is really gonna matter doing extract beers. Im leaving it in the primary for 10 days and secondary for 2 weeks and then carbing in keg the slow way how Will my beer seriously need more time than this?

Im still not 100% convinced it is really gonna matter doing extract beers. Im leaving it in the primary for 10 days and secondary for 2 weeks and then carbing in keg the slow way how Will my beer seriously need more time than this?

No one knows. Without a hydrometer reading, we're only guessing. Just like I asked you to guess if my car needs gas. I'm kidding, but it's the same thing. Without reading your "gauge", you can only guess.

__________________Broken Leg BreweryGiving beer a leg to stand on since 2006

Well, say for instance where you are fermenting is on the cool side, say 60. Maybe when you made your kit you decided to "up" the abv by adding another pound or two of extract or sugar or whatever...

Then your yeast had a long lag time, say three days. So you rack on day 10 and you have had active fermentation for 6 or 7 of those days, but it was slow because of the cool temps.
You rack on day 10 and the yeast craps out because you've only reached 50% attenuation and you've reduced the yeast population to a fraction of what it was.

So you're left with a sweet, low alcohol brew that might have been awesome if you'd taken some readings to find out what was going on.

It will still be beer, and your friends will tell you it's great, but it wont be what you had hoped for.

Maybe it's an extreme example, but people want to rack 4-5 days or a week after they've pitched, and not worry about the SG readings or taking advice that's been offered to them. This is the same thing.

Most people are on this site because they want to make better beer, one of the basic tools used for this is a hydrometer, it's not that hard to take a reading.

Well, say for instance where you are fermenting is on the cool side, say 60. Maybe when you made your kit you decided to "up" the abv by adding another pound or two of extract or sugar or whatever...

Then your yeast had a long lag time, say three days. So you rack on day 10 and you have had active fermentation for 6 or 7 of those days, but it was slow because of the cool temps.
You rack on day 10 and the yeast craps out because you've only reached 50% attenuation and you've reduced the yeast population to a fraction of what it was.

So you're left with a sweet, low alcohol brew that might have been awesome if you'd taken some readings to find out what was going on.

It will still be beer, and your friends will tell you it's great, but it wont be what you had hoped for.

Maybe it's an extreme example, but people want to rack 4-5 days or a week after they've pitched, and not worry about the SG readings or taking advice that's been offered to them. This is the same thing.

Most people are on this site because they want to make better beer, one of the basic tools used for this is a hydrometer, it's not that hard to take a reading.

just sayin...

well i see what everyone is saying especially for my next brews, gonna work on some Imperial recipes. But wouldnt most simple extract recipes that call for say 6 lbs of lME and 1 lb of dry extract most always be done in 10 days in the primary and giving it another week or 2 in the secondary? I dont know just kind of what i was thinkin.

No one knows. Without a hydrometer reading, we're only guessing. Just like I asked you to guess if my car needs gas. I'm kidding, but it's the same thing. Without reading your "gauge", you can only guess.

well i see what everyone is saying especially for my next brews, gonna work on some Imperial recipes. But wouldnt most simple extract recipes that call for say 6 lbs of lME and 1 lb of dry extract most always be done in 10 days in the primary and giving it another week or 2 in the secondary? I dont know just kind of what i was thinkin.

Yes most simple extract recipes would probably be fine with that timeline, but it is still a guess. UNLESS you've been doing it for so long, in the same place, the same way, that your fermentations run like clock work. BUT most don't, so while that's probably safe, you don't know.

The hydrometer lets you KNOW where your fermentation is at, and gives you another lever to control your process and end result.

I usually take a reading before I pitch, 7-10 days after I pitch, and two readings 3 days apart 2 or 3 weeks later when I'm ready to bottle. A lot of people just seem to take their OG and final readings before they bottle three or four weeks later, leaving it in the primary the whole time.

A good time to take a reading is whenever you are concerned, or when you plan to do something with the knowledge.

For example, I brewed a pale ale last Thursday. I'm going to open it and take a reading today, because if it's finished and clear, I'm going to dryhop it.

I know it fermented, as there are plenty of indications last week that fermentation was taking place.

So I'll check the SG today and dryhop it. In another week, I'll check the SG. If it's the same, I'll bottle or keg it.

If I'm worried that a beer isn't fermenting, I check the SG. If I am getting ready to bottle the beer, or do something else with it, I check the SG. Otherwise, I just leave it alone.

I think one of the reasons I'm more laid back is because I have a lot more carboys! I really don't have much time to worry about one fermenter, because I have about 6 carboys of wine right now, one ale pail of beer, and I'm brewing today. Brewing is a great hobby for procrastinators, since the beer and wine are better if left alone and allowed to "clean up" after themselves in the fermenter.

__________________Broken Leg BreweryGiving beer a leg to stand on since 2006